Kosovo and Metohija formally, according to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, are under the UN protectorate, but in fact, they were subject to occupation regime of the NATO and EU countries, on the one hand, and of the terrorist-separatist forces of the Kosovar Albanians on the other.
Such close attention of Western countries to Kosovo and Metohija is because the Balkans as a whole are a unique geostrategic zone connecting Europe with the Middle East countries. The territory of the Serbian Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija is located at the intersection of three European transport corridors IV, VIII and X. These corridors connect Central Europe with South-East Europe, Turkey and the Black Sea. For example, Corridor VIII covers Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria and is considered to be of prime importance for the transportation of oil from Russia and the Caspian Sea. The Balkans are a militarily convenient foothold in the direction of the Middle East. In this regard, it is no coincidence that the United States has built its largest military base outside its borders in Kosovo, Camp Bondsteel. Moreover, Kosovo is exceptionally rich in natural resources: lead, zinc, copper and especially brown coal, which was the reason for mining industry development in this territory until 1999 (for example, the Trepca complex in Kosovo Mitrovica).
Upon the termination of the NATO military aggression against the FRY and signing of the Kumanovo military-technical agreement, which ended the hostilities, in early 2000, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo and Metohija (UNMIK) Bernard Kouchner visited New York to find out the opinion of the UN member states on how to interpret the term “substantial autonomy” specified in Resolution No. 1244. However, the issue remained without a specific answer and Kouchner decided to act at his own discretion. One of the most pronounced measures of Kouchner was the ban, which he personally issued to UNMIK police, on searches and prosecutions of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) militants, since he understood the meaning of UNMIK's activities as protection of the rights of Kosovar Albanians, respectively, he considered the prosecution of "ordinary" criminal cases and war crimes "politically unreasonable". Thus, Kushner assigned UNMIK the status of an organization serving the interests of the leaders of the KLA. However, subsequent heads of missions, unlike Kushner, understood the red line, avoiding crossing it.